In the year since JD Ryan, Robert Lemos's life partner, packed his bags and moved out, Robert has been in a painful daze, anesthetizing himself wit...
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reviews
Jan 16, 2009
Daisiemae
rated it: 
I won't get into describing the book much. I decided to read the book based on Shawn's recommendation and review and I am glad I did. The book spans over 15 years and gives details of the rollercoaster ride that is J.D and Robert's relationship. What struck me as original and fresh about this book was the flaws characters and how they actively had to make their relationship work. They argued, drank too much, had fantastic make-up sex, had jealousy issues and enabled bad habits. This book is
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4 comments
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(22 people liked it)
Nov 27, 2008
Shawn
rated it:
This book is amazing.
It has it all an emotional love story between JD and Robert, a mystery, sex. It's really one of my favorite books and I highly recommend it.
The story between JD and Robert is really tragic. JD left Robert, but Robert still loves him. When JD is attacked outside a club and ends up in the hospital (the person he was with was killed), Robert is called because he is still listed as JD's partner. To Robert's surprise, JD has temporary amnesia and doesn' More...
It has it all an emotional love story between JD and Robert, a mystery, sex. It's really one of my favorite books and I highly recommend it.
The story between JD and Robert is really tragic. JD left Robert, but Robert still loves him. When JD is attacked outside a club and ends up in the hospital (the person he was with was killed), Robert is called because he is still listed as JD's partner. To Robert's surprise, JD has temporary amnesia and doesn' More...
5 comments
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(17 people liked it)
Jul 11, 2010
Brenda (b)
rated it: 
I enjoyed this book and found it very interesting. In the beginning, as I read this story, I kept asking myself where was all this heading? Who was going to be together at the end? There was a lot happening here. There was the investigation into the shotting of Pablo and JD and why it happened. Robert and JD were an established couple who had split up. JD was suffering from retrograde amnesia and didn't remember the shooting or their history and break-up. Robert was apprehensively waiting for me
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2 comments
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(3 people liked it)
Jun 06, 2010
A.B.
rated it:
Another winner by A.M.Riley.
All my comments from "Elegant Corpse" ring true.
What I really liked about this book is the political/historical/cultural slice of Los Angeles the reader obtained.
Parts of the story centred on the Rodney King riots, but the pre-AIDS era and the whole hispanic culture played a vital role in this book.
The time jumps again made it mandatory for the reader to pay attention and think. ne of the things I really like about A.M.Riley's books. More...
All my comments from "Elegant Corpse" ring true.
What I really liked about this book is the political/historical/cultural slice of Los Angeles the reader obtained.
Parts of the story centred on the Rodney King riots, but the pre-AIDS era and the whole hispanic culture played a vital role in this book.
The time jumps again made it mandatory for the reader to pay attention and think. ne of the things I really like about A.M.Riley's books. More...
Apr 29, 2010
Ami
rated it:
I have to take a moment before writing this short opinion because truth be told, "Amor En Retrogrado" makes me emotionally drained. The summary of this book doesn't do any justice. Here I am, thinking that it will be another good murder mystery (since my first experience with A.M. Riley's book was with "The Elegant Corpse"), only to find out, even after the first two chapters, that this is more than just that. In fact, I cannot even count this as a mystery. Though it is opene
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(4 people liked it)
Apr 14, 2009
I'm enchanted. Amor en Retrogrado is one book I hardly will forget. It's heartbreaking and real. It's a brilliant piece of fiction. It's not a M/M romance, cause it's a lot more. Have you understood that I love this book?
JD and Robert are a fifteen years old committed couple. But they have split one year before for a lot of reasons. But when Robert receives a call in the middle of the night telling him that JD is in hospital, in intensive care, and the man who was with him is dead, R More...
JD and Robert are a fifteen years old committed couple. But they have split one year before for a lot of reasons. But when Robert receives a call in the middle of the night telling him that JD is in hospital, in intensive care, and the man who was with him is dead, R More...
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(7 people liked it)
Jun 16, 2011
Shell
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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9 comments
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(5 people liked it)
May 30, 2011
Lil' Grogan
rated it: 
Whoa...dysfunction and ISSUES galore! Perhaps a little busy with 3 main threads -- 2 dysfunctional relationships (actually more, but I'll stick with two) and a crime to solve -- though the mirroring of the main couple (JD and Robert) with Bill's situation helped it sit a little better. Liked JD and Robert's story, especially as there weren't easy answers. Also liked that the change in perspective changed my own on the characters.
The mystery was almost incidental for me - more polic More...
The mystery was almost incidental for me - more polic More...
Jan 09, 2010
Lori
rated it:
Hmmm...what can I say about this story? Well, nothing negative. I really loved this story. I guess the ending was a bit rushed for me, but not overly so. There is tons of angst in this story, which is not for everyone but is definately my cup of tea. There are lots of flashbacks, which are not normally my cup of tea, but I didn't mind them at all. I would actually have to say that the flashbacks kind of made the story, and I hardly ever find that to be the case. The unfolding of the charac
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Dec 16, 2010
Emanuela ~plastic duck~
rated it:
This is one of the most compelling books I've read. It's not perfect, but it's gripping and intense.
The mistery in the book is not only the investigation about who committed the crime against JD and his young friend, it's about going back in time to discover how a love story turned bad and it's also about Bill Turner, the cop investigating the crime.
The story is told through the eyes of Robert, JD's lover, and Bill. Both are not unbiased witnesses.
Robert is t More...
The mistery in the book is not only the investigation about who committed the crime against JD and his young friend, it's about going back in time to discover how a love story turned bad and it's also about Bill Turner, the cop investigating the crime.
The story is told through the eyes of Robert, JD's lover, and Bill. Both are not unbiased witnesses.
Robert is t More...
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(3 people liked it)
Apr 24, 2010
thelastaerie
rated it:
I enjoyed this way more than AM Riley's other acclaimed one "An Elegant Corpse". I suppose the lack of BDSM helps me get into this romance a lot more. The mystery part is also a lot more intriguing to read. There are lots of false leads and clues. The supporting characters are also very well-drawn and there are branches of storylines developing at the same time. But the prime attraction of the story is the 15-year romance history between Roberto and JD. Both good men with fault
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Jul 28, 2011
Fangtasia
rated it:
A beautiful love story of two very disparate men who illustrate the phrase 'opposites attract'. Beautifully detailed main characters, JD and Robert struggle for a long time to come to terms with their demons and the resolution at the end of the story is by no means easy. Though their descriptions and origins could have easily made them become a cliché, the author skillfully manages to get beyond that to give the reader very real people to root for and feel engaged with. An excellent example of '
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(2 people liked it)
Feb 19, 2010
LdDurham
rated it:
Wow. This book blew me away. Absolutely blew me away. I have no idea how I could have missed reading A.M. Riley, and am very glad I was finally pointed in the right direction.
This was an excellent emotional spiral, an excellent, suspenseful mystery, and an excellent ride from start to finish. The book opens on a murder scene and then a private scene, and, honestly, was really quite confusing. Riley told the story backwards while still moving forward. The characters were incredibly r More...
This was an excellent emotional spiral, an excellent, suspenseful mystery, and an excellent ride from start to finish. The book opens on a murder scene and then a private scene, and, honestly, was really quite confusing. Riley told the story backwards while still moving forward. The characters were incredibly r More...
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(1 person liked it)
Jul 04, 2011
Daanquai
rated it:
I was reluctant to read this one since the series is about the heroes of the book, JD and Robert, finding their way back to each other. Usually, the selfish reader that I am, I like to be there at the very beginning of a relationship and not dropped in the middle and have to play catch up. However, the author did a beautiful job, through flashbacks, catching us up on their relationship and what happened to separate them. They had a beautiful, if not flawed, relationship, which made them so very
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Nov 13, 2010
K
rated it:
One of the most heart breaking romances I have read all year. The vivid backdrop of LA police and gang violence was certainly very intriguing, but ultimately it was the love story of Robert and JD which had my stomach in knots. I think this book is particularly poignant for those of us in a long term relationship, 15 years is a bloody long time to be together. You don't need external factors to tear people apart, people are quite capable of tearing themselves apart. With not many pages to go, I
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Oct 23, 2011
♆ Bookaddict
rated it:
Might as well slit your wrists now. This story was utterly depressing. When it started out, I thought, ooh, a straight guy forced to like m/m sex. Then as the story was slowing unveiled, all I could think of was, Robert is a martyr. JD is an ASSHOLE. WHAT THE HELL? God, even JD w/ amnesia thinks he was an asshole. Reading about their life together is like watching a horrifying slow train wreak. The sheer amount of damage inflicted upon each other is unbelievable. The emotional blackmail,
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Oct 19, 2011
Morgana
rated it:
This book was so not what I expected. I'm such a sucker for good mystery novels but seriously, I like it when books stay focused on two MC. Don't get me wrong, I love investigations and all those things but I think I'd rather read about them when at least one of the main characters is a cop/detective/PI/FBI agent, you get my drift? And here I didn't find it. This detective, Bill Turner is an ass. <spoiler> Just let me say that continuously coming onto one of MC (JD Ryan) who is by all mean
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Feb 05, 2011
Edina
rated it:
Incredibly realistic. Deeply Flawed characters. Great mystery plot. I couldn't put it down.
This book shows us that we can love each other deeply and still hurt each other deeply. We can bring the best and the worst at the same time in each other.
This is the story of two men who are married, they have been together for 15 years. Then they broke up. One year later, one is injured and looses his memory of the last ten years, while the man he was with that moment is killed. It More...
This book shows us that we can love each other deeply and still hurt each other deeply. We can bring the best and the worst at the same time in each other.
This is the story of two men who are married, they have been together for 15 years. Then they broke up. One year later, one is injured and looses his memory of the last ten years, while the man he was with that moment is killed. It More...
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Apr 22, 2011
Trix
rated it:
It's a bit hard to write a review on the story since I finished it just minutes ago.
It was a strong story. As another reviewer remarked, I'm not a big fan of flashbacks but the author made it work here. It's through these flashbacks that I was bit by bit introduced into Robert and JD's lives, the mistakes they have made, the mistakes that revealed their flaws.
I feel emotionally drained after having finished the story. Throughout almost the entire book, I felt sympathetic More...
It was a strong story. As another reviewer remarked, I'm not a big fan of flashbacks but the author made it work here. It's through these flashbacks that I was bit by bit introduced into Robert and JD's lives, the mistakes they have made, the mistakes that revealed their flaws.
I feel emotionally drained after having finished the story. Throughout almost the entire book, I felt sympathetic More...
Nov 17, 2011
Wendy
rated it:
I definitely enjoyed the murder mystery element of this book; it kept me guessing until the end about the outcome. On the other hand, I really had mixed feelings about the romance/relationship aspect of the book.
Much of the story surrounding the main characters, Robert and JD, comes through flashbacks and very little in current time. I don’t recall ever reading a story where the main characters were so flawed and they never really made it out of the struggling aspect of their rel More...
Much of the story surrounding the main characters, Robert and JD, comes through flashbacks and very little in current time. I don’t recall ever reading a story where the main characters were so flawed and they never really made it out of the struggling aspect of their rel More...
Jun 17, 2010
Nichole (Dirty H)
rated it:
Hard time rating this.
This was a very engaging read, and yet it bugged me in a lot of ways. There is a murder mystery plot with a very confusing and, at least to me, seemingly illogical investigation. I did not "get" the two investigators at all, I just couldn't connect with them or understand where they were coming from. I wanted to get to the resolution of the mystery, but for the most part I was biding my time through the investigation scenes waiting to get back to what More...
This was a very engaging read, and yet it bugged me in a lot of ways. There is a murder mystery plot with a very confusing and, at least to me, seemingly illogical investigation. I did not "get" the two investigators at all, I just couldn't connect with them or understand where they were coming from. I wanted to get to the resolution of the mystery, but for the most part I was biding my time through the investigation scenes waiting to get back to what More...
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Jan 05, 2010
Jenre
rated it:
I put off reading this ambitious book by AM Riley because I wasn’t sure I would like the amnesia plot, especially as I was worried that the main hero, Robert, was going to lie and keep secrets from JD, thus taking advantage of his amnesia. I shouldn’t have worried because that wasn’t the case at all. Instead this is an honest and sometime brutal look at a long term relationship in free fall and how an act of violence can lead to a reckoning and recovery.
The book begins with a crime. More...
The book begins with a crime. More...
12 comments
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(14 people liked it)
Nov 21, 2011
Susinok
rated it:
4.5 stars Holy crap and wow. This story defines rocky relationships. Nothing comes easy to JD and Roberto. After 15 years together they had split up one year before the book begins. Then JD is shot in the parking lot of gay bar. He wakes up in the hospital with amnesia.
The book jumps from the past to the present, from Roberto and JD to the police investigating the shooting.
The relationship between JD and Roberto is complex, messy, and co-dependant. Nothing comes easy for More...
The book jumps from the past to the present, from Roberto and JD to the police investigating the shooting.
The relationship between JD and Roberto is complex, messy, and co-dependant. Nothing comes easy for More...
May 03, 2010
Brainorgan
rated it:
Excellent book! I loved the characters, they were so flawed & lovable. I was lost with the Spanish slang and only afterwards discovered the glossary (duh!). It was beautifully constructed, the pieces of memory and other bits all coming together to a point at the end. I was a little perplexed about naming one of the characters Pablo Neruda, I couldn't quite figure out if there was a meaning to it or not.
Nov 06, 2011
Fairy / Anna
rated it:
Reunion story/Second chance
Yay, yay, yay!
It's not easy and not funny, rather serious and complicated. At the beginning I really liked it, then, not so much, and after 50 % I was at sunny side again. The more I read it, the more I was convinced.
The relationship between main characters was very dynamic and full of emotions. If it's not enough for you, in addition, there was an investigation in the background. Quite good, in my opinion. I really wanted to know who the kille More...
Yay, yay, yay!
It's not easy and not funny, rather serious and complicated. At the beginning I really liked it, then, not so much, and after 50 % I was at sunny side again. The more I read it, the more I was convinced.
The relationship between main characters was very dynamic and full of emotions. If it's not enough for you, in addition, there was an investigation in the background. Quite good, in my opinion. I really wanted to know who the kille More...
Apr 13, 2011
Cleon
rated it:
This book is definitely far from a simple murder mystery. It is very emotionally intense. In short, it is about a fucked up relationship by two fucked up men. The characters will invoke strong reactions from readers. However, I am quite satisfied with the ending. Everything is not roses and rainbows, but they are willing to work thing through and admit their own faults and mistakes.
Jan 17, 2010
Sarah
rated it:
I read Amor En Retrogrado by A. M. Riley because Treva Harte said it was cool beans. Reading the synopsis, after I bought it, I was initially not that keen as the book focuses on an established couple and the break down of their relationship. I am rather guilty of preferring that first flush of romance between a couple and all that lovely anticipation. I was happily proved wrong and could not have enjoyed this book more. It was romantic, heart breaking and beautifully written. I think I almost g
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Aug 16, 2011
Emma
rated it:
This book reminded me why I loved M/M in the first place. The couple was so real that they almost overshadowed the mystery and thriller aspect of the novel. The dialogues were genuine and the plot line was intoxicating. I couldn’t put it down till I swallowed it whole.
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Mar 25, 2010
Clare
rated it:
A depth and richness that I haven't found in a book for a long while. Anguished relationship, quirky and poignant use of the memory loss, sexy characters, lovely descriptions of and compassion for the characters' development and redemption. Good pace, evocative settings.
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Jun 29, 2011
Ociany
rated it:
Fantastically done. Normally I really don't read books with parallel story lines or multiple main character but this one was simply too special. Fantastic job to the author.
